Candlelight Feast
by NeonHorizon
Summary: Tsukiyama has the perfect Christmas dinner planned for his beloved. If she only knew how he felt. And didn't already like someone else. Just small details, though. Tsukiyama is willing to improvise. Especially when there's a meal on the line. Romantic horror holiday short story. Might become a series. Warning: it's kind of dark.


NeonHorizon: Quick warning that this has some intense yandere elements, some gore, and just all around unsettling elements. I wanted to see if I could write a romantic horror story for Christmas and thought Tsukiyama would be perfect for it. If enough people enjoy this short story, I might consider making a full series fanfic for it.

* * *

The last things she could remember were returning home from work, enjoying a cup of coffee, and settling on her couch to read. It was an average sort of night and still early. Her coffee cup was soon empty and she found the world suddenly growing blurry and dim. When she tried to stand, it felt like the room was spinning and she struggled to get to her bedroom. Consciousness faded away soon after getting past the doorway and her limp body crumpled to the floor.

As consciousness returned, the young woman's eyes fluttered open and she tried to focus her gaze on something. Anything that would help her steady herself to figure out what had happened. She was not on her bedroom floor. Her body had been seated in a chair, at a table, and her limbs were restrained.

It was a struggle to keep her head up, but she was determined. This was a matter of survival. If a CCG investigator had somehow done this, she needed to keep her wits sharp. Though, given the table in front of her, she had her doubts that the CCG had anything to do with this.

The table was set neatly with plates and cutlery. There were only two places set at the table and the lit candlesticks made the setting look as if this was some sort of date. Two crystal goblets were on the table as well, holding a thick, dark red liquid that gave off a delicious, bloody aroma.

The light sources in the room were the candles on the table before her and a Christmas tree in the corner. The candles cast a warm, but faint glow upon the intimate setting. The multicolored lights on the Christmas tree were an unsettlingly cheerful addition to her present situation. She moved her head slowly and tried to see more details about her surroundings, but it was too dark.

Lowering her head, she narrowed her eyes and looked at her right arm. Her limb was secured to the armrest of the chair at the wrist and just below her elbow. There was a soft, shiny fabric tucked between her skin and the thick chain that was holding her in place to keep the chains from leaving marks on her. Her left arm was in a similar state and when she tried to move her legs, she felt that they had been secured to the front legs of the chair. Her ankles were spread, but her thighs and knees had been bound together tightly.

To make matters even more unsettling, her skirt and blouse had been changed out for a long dress with short cap sleeves and a dipping neckline. In the dim light of the room, it appeared to be a pale color with polka dots. Colors too light for her to really make out in the dim candlelight. The idea that someone had changed her clothes, in addition to restraining her, made her blood run cold.

_What…happened…?_ She shook her head, but it made her dizzy. Closing her eyes, she slumped forward a bit in her seat. "What happened?" Her voice was just above a whisper and trembled. Fear was taking hold as the grogginess wore off.

The feeling of being trapped was making her heart race and she tried to pull free of the restraints, but her limbs felt as if they were made of lead. As if they refused to obey her. After struggling for a while, she finally slumped in her seat again and panted. Sweat beaded along her hairline.

Light flooded the room as a door opened to her left. Across the room from where she was seated, a tall figure paused in the doorway to regard her. A familiar scent came from them and the girl's nose twitched as she recognized it. She knew his scent well. After all, they had been friends since high school.

Her friend closed the door behind him and there was a click of the lock, the room becoming mostly dark once more. He began striding toward her through the darkness, taking his time as if to savor this moment. Meanwhile, she began to tremble violently. Each footstep seemed to echo in an almost deafening way. Her heart was racing like a rabbit's shortly before the killing bite from the hunting cat.

As he came to stand beside her chair, the young woman bowed her head more in an effort to hide her face. He leaned down a little and ran his right hand through her long, lavender locks. Lifting her hair to his nose, the man inhaled deeply and seemed to shudder.

"…Shuu…" Her voice was a whisper now and she struggled to mask her fear.

"Oh, my darling Kasumi. Your voice makes my name sound so sweet~" He leaned away and straightened. In a few strides, he had seated himself across from her at the table and gazed upon his friend in a way that made her stomach twist in knots.

They had been friends since high school. Close friends. He often had her over to his home and vice versa. They occasionally went hunting together. Sometimes he would invite her to the ghoul restaurant when he went. Sometimes she would invite him to sit in the café where she worked when he wanted somewhere peaceful to read.

Tsukiyama Shuu. Her best friend since high school. He was now sitting across from her, resting his chin in his hand, gazing upon Kasumi's bound figure as if this was some sort of romantic dinner. She struggled in her seat, trying to tug at the chains once more, but it was futile.

**Shift P.O.V**

Oshiro Kasumi. His best friend since high school. The beauty that he had at his side nearly every day. He had thought she was breathtaking in a haunting, otherworldly sort of way. Such pale, lavender hair. Such vibrant blue eyes. Such milky, smooth flesh. Just thinking about her now was making him salivate.

They had been friends for years and he had always admired her, but he was satisfied with simply having her at his side. That is, at first. Gradually, his simple crush began to evolve into a full blown infatuation. An obsession. He wondered what her hair smelled like, what her flesh and blood would taste like. However, he was a gentleman. He wanted to do this a certain way.

Tsukiyama had gone days without eating, preparing for this night. Everything had to be absolutely perfect. He planned a beautiful setting, got a bottle of fine fermented blood, and even bought her a beautiful gown for the occasion. This night had to be perfect if he was to fully enjoy devouring his love.

It took days of meticulous planning and then, on Christmas Eve, he witnessed something that changed his mind from his original plan. Tsukiyama was going to the café where Kasumi worked, intending to ask her to come to his home. The café was not Anteiku, but another one that was popular with college students.

He approached the front of the café to see if she was behind the counter and felt his heart sink. His beloved Kasumi was seated at a table with a customer. A human customer. A young, male, human customer who was holding her hand and smiling. Tsukiyama felt as though a spike had been driven through his chest.

His plans were forced to change. A strong drug had been procured and slipped into her coffee grounds at the top of the bag. Something powerful enough to knock out a rinkaku ghoul and keep her knocked out long enough for him to do what he had to. Now he would keep her and instead dine on something different.

Now it was just the two of them, sitting at this beautifully set table; spending Christmas night together. He had a candlelit dinner planned and there were a few gifts beneath the tree he had meticulously decorated. He wished that they had a fireplace in the room so he could sit before it with a blanket wrapped around himself and Kasumi, but this room had no fireplace.

"I'm so glad that you could spend Christmas night with me, mon cheri. You look so beautiful in this candlelight." He smiled and reached across the table, gently caressing the young woman's cheek.

"Shuu…why…?"

"My dear, sweet Kasumi. I've done so much to make tonight perfect. I know that you must be excited, but just be patient." His smile grew as he tilted his head slightly, regarding his object of desire in the warm, flickering light. "I worked hard to make this night absolutely perfect. Just for you."

**Shift P.O.V**

She knew her friend well. He enjoyed both men and women. He enjoyed the meat of both humans and ghouls. The fact that Tsukiyama indulged in casual cannibalism was no secret. In fact, he seemed almost smug about it and had tried to convince her to join him in devouring a fellow ghoul a few times. Kasumi always refused, of course.

The young woman never could have guessed that his appetite would bring him to look upon her as if she was food. He had been so close with her. He never even hinted at wanting to eat her.

Kasumi tried to keep her eyes lowered. Fearful of seeing the appetite in his gaze. Fearful of what would happen if she met his stare. The hand caressing her cheek was warm, gentle. His fingers slipped beneath her chin, lifting her face to force her bright blue eyes to look his way.

"There we are! Such a beautiful, vibrant shade of blue! Like magnificent sapphires set in your ivory face! A living work of art!" Tsukiyama smiled in a genuine, loving way that one would smile at something they cherished. "To think that I have you all to myself this Christmas. My goodness! I don't even know where to begin~"

"Shuu, please! Please don't do this!"

"Oh, my dear Kasumi, you don't need to worry. When you look so desperate and sad…" He began to frown, but then smiled again. "Well, honestly, you look radiant no matter what face you make. Your sadness and fear is just as breathtaking as your smile. I didn't think I could love you any more than I did, but you continue to surprise me!"

"L-love?!" She struggled against her bonds again as he stood and walked to stand behind her chair. Kasumi went still when hands rested on her shoulders, tensing beneath his touch. Her friend's fingers slid down, caressing her collar bone with one hand as the other arm slid around the front of her shoulders. She felt warm breath brush along the side of her neck and bit her lip to hold back a yelp.

Tsukiyama's nose lightly traced the pale flesh of her neck and he inhaled deeply. He shuddered against her back and when he exhaled, it was with a deep, moaning sigh. "Mon cheri! You smell absolutely _marvelous_! What I wouldn't give to be surrounded by your aroma every second of my life!"

"Please! Please just…let me go…please, Shuu!" Kasumi desperately pleaded with her friend, but she knew that tone in his voice. The same tone he spoke to his prey in, whether they were human or ghoul. She was going to be eaten. More than likely, Tsukiyama would kill her quickly and feast on her remains for the next day or so until he grew tired of her taste. Then her remains would be disposed of and he would move on to his next prey.

The soft glow of the candlelight and the bright, colorful cheer of the Christmas tree cast an unsettling contrast to what was happening. Such a beautiful, romantic set up and she was going to be devoured like a slab of meat by her best friend. Tears began to roll down her face as his hands ran through her pale purple hair, her body trembling with sobs. The betrayal, the fear. It was too much to keep bottled up now.

He moved around to her right side, gently cupping her cheek as he stared into her eyes. Tsukiyama's hair was falling over one eye a little and, in his distraction, he let it rest there. He studied her face for a long moment, his lips no longer pulled into a smile. "Hush. My dear, my radiant little flower. Everything is going to be _perfect_ tonight. You don't need to worry about anything!"

Kasumi jolted as he leaned in close and pressed his lips to the corner of her closed right eye. He wiped along a tear trail and brought it to his mouth when he leaned back, bringing the fingertip to his tongue and savoring the taste of her tears. She watched this wide, watery eyes.

Thoughts of trying to fight Tsukiyama came and went. She would think on it and grow hopeful, only to remember how sluggish her movements were right now. Even turning her head felt like it took a lot of effort. Kasumi shed fresh tears as he lifted the crystal goblet beside her plate and swished the blood within it.

She had so many things left that she wanted to do. She had been attending college with Tsukiyama, but had chosen a different path. Now Kasumi would never graduate. She would never be able to get a higher paying job and live as she wanted.

Kasumi had met a young man in one of her classes. He was human, but he was a tolerable human. Someone kind and warm. Someone intelligent and slightly excitable. He had started visiting her at the café where she worked after classes and had finally asked her out a few weeks ago. They had plans to meet that night to spend Christmas together at his apartment. Now she would never be able to tell him how deeply she truly cared for him. She would not even be able to say farewell.

Tsukiyama placed a hand on the back of Kasumi's neck and used his other hand to bring the goblet to her lips. "I got this blood to make tonight especially exceptional, mon cheri. Come now; open your mouth. You wouldn't want to turn me down, would you?"

She did her best to try to keep her lips closed. If she was going to die, she would go out fighting as best she could. He pressed harder, teeth gritting as he grew frustrated. When her lips were finally forced apart, he tipped her head back and let the fermented blood run down her throat. A bit of the blood trickled from the corners of her mouth and painted macabre red trails along her neck, pooling at her collar bone.

"Ma petite fleur. So messy~" Fingers tangled in her hair to draw her head back more and he set the goblet aside. His free hand now gripped her shoulder as he leaned down. The male ghoul's mouth latched onto the milky flesh of her collar bone and he sucked, drawing the excess blood off of her skin. The tip of his tongue traced along the trails; not leaving even the faintest of remnants.

When he reached her lips, he let his mouth gently meet hers. The grip on her shoulder tightened and he parted his lips. The man's tongue glided along her lower lip, spreading the delicious flavor of the human blood over her skin. He sucked at her lower lip for a brief moment before giving it a gentle nip and drawing away with a smile on his face.

"You taste divine, my dear. I honestly wish that I could just devour you completely; mind, body, and soul! I want to join with you and never let you go! It's such a shame…to have to wait." He sighed and stared down at her, lovingly. Caressing her cheek, he saw her bit her lip and avert her eyes. "I know just what will cheer up my darling Kasumi."

She began to tremble when he left her alone in the darkness. _He's going to eat me. I'm going to be killed and…he's going to eat me. This is how I die. Christmas night. Devoured by my best friend. _Bowing her head, her hair fell around her face to hide the tears running down her cheeks.

The door opened once more and brought with it a certain aroma. A delicious, meaty aroma. Tsukiyama was bringing in a cart with covered dishes on it, locking the door behind him again. "I'm afraid this isn't exactly how I wanted it to be. You see, I had this all planned out differently before this afternoon. I was going to come to the café with a bouquet of roses to invite you here tonight. I wanted to win your heart in a conventional way, but now I see perfectly! Our love is unconventional!"

The closer the cart drew, the stronger the smell of food became. She had not eaten in a while so her stomach began to growl. Her mouth began to salivate. Kasumi stared at the cart in the dim light, fear growing. Surely he intended to have her eat as he ate her. He had mentioned that way of feeding before.

"Here we are! Only the finest cuisine for my beloved Kasumi~" Tsukiyama set the trays on the table and began removing the covers. Human organs. Delicate bowls of fresh human blood. Cuts of meat. Finally, on the largest tray, sat the severed head of the young man from her class. Sitting in a pool of his blood.

The male ghoul lifted the young man's heart with a fork and set it on the plate before her. "Merry Christmas, my dear~"


End file.
